April 28, 2012

Today the roles of author and publisher have combined and are very much apart of the DIY (Do It Yourself) movement that include online animation media channels, blogs and self-publishing outlets.

Hear about the journey and the world of the creator/self publisher who has chosen this DIY route and who proudly wears the multiple hats of Author, Illustrator, Layout/Design, Printing, Publishing, Marketing/Advertising , Sales and “Creator”. Listen and gain first hand the knowledge, the rewards, the nuts and bolts, ups and downs, and reasons why these great talents choose to Do it All Yourself and publish without a third party company.

April 25, 2012

Sixteen years ago today, legendary movie title sequence designer Saul Bass passed away. In memory of this prolific artist, here's an overview of his entire body of work.

“For the average audience, the credits tell them there’s only
three minutes left to eat popcorn. I take this ‘dead’ period and try to do more than simply get rid of names that film-goers aren’t interested in.
I aim to set up the audience for what’s coming;
make them expectant.”

“I began as a graphic designer and as part of my work I created
many film symbols for ad campaigns. During that period I happened to be working on the symbols for ‘Carmen Jones’ and ‘The man with the golden arm’ for Otto Preminger. At one point in our work Otto and I just looked at
each other and said: “why not make it move?” It was really as simple as that.”

“‘The man with the golden arm’ woke everybody up and said: “This is what the potential is for main titles. You thought this was just a throw-away kind of thing where we just put the type up and noone really designs it.”
And Saul Bass said:“Hey, wait a minute designers, directors, here’s an opportunity for us, to take advantage of this real estate at the beginning of a movie and use it to help tell the story or just use it to make something real interesting or beautiful,” and everybody woke up.”

— KYLE COOPER, designer of the Se7en title sequence,
in the documentary “Saul Bass, title champ,” 2008

“Bass fashioned title sequences into an art, creating in some cases, like Vertigo, a mini-film within a film. His graphic compositions in movement function as a prologue to the movie – setting the tone, providing the mood and foreshadowing the action.”

“There’s a story about someone seeing the titles for Wyler’s The Big Country (1958) and remarking to Saul that it “didn’t look like a Saul Bass title sequence.” He was taken aback, because for him, there was no such thing as “a Saul Bass title sequence.”

“So important have the titles become that they can be a menace to
the movie itself. The titles for the 1962 production of ‘Walk on the wild side,’ for example, were so arresting and so widely acclaimed that
the film is remembered for little else.”

“I want everything we do – that I do personally,
that our office does – to be beautiful. I don’t give a damn whether a client understands that that’s worth anything, or that a client thinks it’s worth anything, or whether it is worth anything. It’s worth it to me.
It’s the way I want to live my life.
I want to make beautiful things. Even if nobody cares.”

Directed by: Danny DeVito Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito Country: USAOnce in a lifetime comes a motion picture that makes you feel like falling in love all over again.
This is not that movie.

Directed by: Martin ScorseseStarring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci Country: USAIn a world that’s powered by violence, on the streets where the violent have power, a new generation carries on an old tradition.

“Titles by ELAINE &SAUL BASS”

‘GOODFELLAS’ was the first of five title sequences Saul Bass and his wife Elaine designed for director Martin Scorsese.

“Saul Bass wasn’t just an artist who contributed to the
first several minutes of some of the greatest movies in history;
in my opinion his body of work qualifies him as one of the best
film makers of this, or any other time.”